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Cameron Green is still a strong candidate to be called
up in a batting order shuffle, and all options will be taken into consideration
when deciding who will open the batting for the West Indies series in January
instead of David Warner.
Speaking the day after Australia defeated Pakistan by
79 runs in Melbourne to take a 2-0 lead in the series, with one match remaining
in Sydney, coach and selector Andrew McDonald confirmed that all options for
Warner’s replacement were still up for discussion. These options included
all-rounder Green going back to the middle order as well as specialist openers
Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw.
For the third consecutive match at the SCG, which will
signal Warner’s retirement from the format, Australia’s team appears likely to
remain unchanged. The team has remained stable throughout the Test summer with
no notable injury concerns or form difficulties. The Australian selection
committee will convene on Saturday to finalise the squad; however, it is
improbable that they would decide Warner’s successor until following the third
Test match against Pakistan.
“All options will be considered,” McDonald
said. “And I said we’re not going to make the decision until the deadline
which will be the West Indies game.
“There’s a few options. Everyone is well aware of
the options. I’m a person that once you know when you’re going to make the
decision, you make it at that point in time. Until then the discussions will be
open. We’ll put a deadline on that. That’ll be the West Indies selection
meeting.”
“Cameron Green, as a discussion around who are
the best six batters, has definitely been in the conversation,” McDonald
confirmed.
During the Boxing Day Test, Warner himself suggested
Harris as a potential successor; however, McDonald remarked, sardonically, that
this was not a reflection on the selectors’ minds, as the retiring opener had
suggested a different name earlier in the season.